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Post by LilyRose on Aug 6, 2019 16:31:59 GMT
My mother has a pair of rescue springer spaniels, a mother/daughter combo that she adopted when they were 5 and 7. The daughter, Molly, is now 11. My mom and Molly have a truly special bond. We’ve recently learned that Molly has a form of bladder cancer referred to as TCC. There is no type of surgery that can be done. With no other treatment, the vet estimates she may have 6 months (personally, I feel it will be less).
My mother and I had an appointment last week at a specialized animal hospital to meet with their oncologist to discuss options for treatment for Molly. My mother is adamant that she will not needlessly prolong Molly’s life or allow her to suffer. Her first instinct was to not do chemo, but she wanted to hear details.
The gist is that there are about 5 chemo medications that could be tried. One is a pill taken at home, but it is not usually the first choice for treatment. The others are injections that would involve Molly going to the vet (45 minutes each way) and being there for about 90 minutes. This would be every 3 weeks for 6-8 weeks. We are told dogs don’t typically experience many side effects. When they do, it’s usually stomach upset. Treatment could be stopped at any time if mom changed her mind. A full course of chemo could result in an additional 6 months.
My mother is SO torn, she asked me to “ask the Peas”. She doesn’t know if she should give Molly a chance, or if she is simply prolonging the inevitable. Her thoughts (understandably) change from moment to moment (as do mine, but I would never tell her what to do. I try to act as a sounding board). Molly is not an outgoing dog and does not like the vet. If the treatments were an all-day thing, it would be a definite no.
Have you been in this scenario with your own dog? If you did chemo, what was your experience? We’re you happy you’d done it, or did you have regrets?
Sorry this got so long! I tried to lay out what we heard from the vet. I have the sweetest photo of mom and Molly I wish I could share, but Photobucket is not cooperating. Maybe later.
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NoWomanNoCry
Drama Llama
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Post by NoWomanNoCry on Aug 6, 2019 16:39:10 GMT
We have friends who just did this with their dog..I’m sorry I don’t know much details other than the dog is completely better. He had a mass removed and then had to go through chemo and he’s a totally different dog health wise.
Good luck!
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Post by tiffanyr on Aug 6, 2019 16:52:26 GMT
We had friends that did chemo for their son's service dog. She had a growth on her face, so it is a completely different kind of cancer from bladder cancer. Unfortunately, it did not help extend Navin's life.
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Post by ExpatBackHome on Aug 6, 2019 16:57:21 GMT
If I read this right, you said that chemo could add 6 months of life for Molly. If that is the case, I would not do it. I would make her happy and as pain free as possible for the rest of her time. So sorry you and your mom are going through this.
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Post by PolarGreen12 on Aug 6, 2019 17:01:54 GMT
At that age and for only maybe 6 months of extended life, I would not put my dog through chemo. I would make sure they had the best cuddliest treat filled days for the time I had left with them.
I have two friends with dogs in this situation lately, both chose to not to do chemo and just spoil them while they can.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 21:19:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 17:02:29 GMT
The treatment cost $25,000. In 2005.
The owners had to take out a loan for it.
The dog lived 6 months after the treatment.
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Post by elaine on Aug 6, 2019 17:07:32 GMT
I wouldn’t do chemotherapy for an additional 6 months of life for a 11 year old springer spaniel. I would spoil her and love her for her final months.
Just because vets think that dogs don’t experience many side effects of chemo - how do they really know? A dog wouldn’t be able to express a whole bunch of side effects that I experienced with chemo. Nausea = not eating is easy to observe, the others, not so much. My own experiences with how hard chemo is certainly bias my point of view.
((Hugs)) to your mom and Molly regardless of what she decides.
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Post by riley on Aug 6, 2019 17:12:16 GMT
We did it for a year for our French bulldog. She was six and it extended her life a year. It was the pill form. We knew there was no cure but it was pain free and they checked her liver enzymes etc. to make sure it was not toxing her out. It’s a very individual decision and our vet really helped in so many ways. I always looked for good appetite as a sign that she was feeling well. I guess I would want to make sure that quality of life was good. When our dog’s cancer returned we had her put down before she began to suffer. Although she was very stoic she began to do a lot of leaning into us behavior and we saw that as a sign. I’m sorry your mom is having to go through this. Very hard.
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Post by sabrinae on Aug 6, 2019 17:20:14 GMT
I’ve chosen not to do chemo on a 7 year old boxer with cancer. Instead I’ve made the dog as comfortable as I can at home. The stress of spending that much time at the vet for so little additional time wasn’t worth it to me. I also think 6 months is probably really optimistic
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Post by Skellinton on Aug 6, 2019 18:01:30 GMT
We had a little dog, Sox, who had chemo. It gave us another almost 2 years with him. I would do it again, he also had to have his leg amputated, he was a smaller dog and it seriously didn’t slow him down much. Just kept him off the counters. He still loved his walks and playing fetch up until the cancer came back. When it came back we only had about a month with him, so at that time we just kept him comfortable and let him eat yogurt and whipped cream after every meal.
The only side effect he had was that he got cold easier, so when he was outside he wore a little sweater.
Good luck to your mother, I will keep her and her fur family in my thoughts.
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Post by KikiPea on Aug 6, 2019 18:20:41 GMT
For the length of time it would take for the procedures, and the fact that it may only prolong her life 6 months, I would have to sadly decline treatment. If it could possibly prolong her life 2+ years, and I knew she'd be able to live a normal life after treatment, it would be a no brainer.
I'm so sorry. It really sucks having to make that decision. Big hugs!
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 6, 2019 18:32:11 GMT
If the best outcome is an additional 6 months - I wouldn't even consider it tbh. I would enjoy the remaining time as stress and pain free as possible.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Aug 6, 2019 18:33:36 GMT
For the length of time it would take for the procedures, and the fact that it may only prolong her life 6 months, I would have to sadly decline treatment. If it could possibly prolong her life 2+ years, and I knew she'd be able to live a normal life after treatment, it would be a no brainer. I'm so sorry. It really sucks having to make that decision. Big hugs! Sadly, I think this is where I'd be, too... considering the age of the dog and what their typical life span probably is. We recently had to make a similar decision regarding one of our dogs; one of our Shelties (11 1/2 yrs old) was diagnosed in June with an inoperable brain tumor. We were told she probably has less than a year to live without any treatment. For the expense of the radiation treatments, and then {possibly} getting only an additional 3-6 months of time with her, we didn't feel it was fair to put her through that, since we couldn't explain to her why we were putting her thru those treatments, and she couldn't tell us how she was feeling. If she was 4 or 5 years old instead of 11 1/2, our decision might have been different. So instead, we're treating her symptoms the best we can to make her as comfortable as possible, and we're making sure she gets as much love and attention as we can give her for whatever time she has left. |
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
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Post by freebird on Aug 6, 2019 19:24:45 GMT
I'd give my dog a kidney if it would save his life, but if it were to only add 6 months, no I probably wouldn't do it.
I'm sorry about her pup. Give her lots of love and give her anything her heart desires.
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Post by tentoes on Aug 6, 2019 19:36:13 GMT
I've been told my dog MAY have cancer. The vet recently performed an ultrasound of his abdomen, and he has nodules on his liver and spleen. We're not sure if the nodules are cancer or not. The vet talked to me and asked "if it WERE cancer, would you want to go the surgery-chemo route?" Since my dog is at least 10 years old (not sure because he was a rescue), I said no. The vet affirmed my decision. Said that is what he would choose also. But, he's doing fine right now. He's on pain meds for arthritis in his hip, (and anywhere else), and I'm going to enjoy him as much as I can for as long as I can. So far, so good.
Good luck with your mom's dog. Those type of decisions are so hard! Mine was hard too because I recently lost my husband, and I'm not ready to lose my dog at this time. But then, we're never ready for that.
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hannahruth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,849
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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Post by hannahruth on Aug 6, 2019 19:41:23 GMT
We treated one of our boxers with chemo but it did not work and in the end stopped it and that was that. He was on tablet form which I had to wear gloves and a face mask to give to him asI was not to breath in any residue from the tablets!
His life was extended only months so on reflection it was not a good outcome at all but we decided to give him the best chance. He was only 6 when he died.
Not sure we would do it again but depending on circumstances maybe.
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Post by mom on Aug 6, 2019 19:42:46 GMT
I would not do it - yes she may get an additional 6 months with her dog, but at what cost (financially, emotionally, and physically for the dog)?
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Post by ladytrisha on Aug 6, 2019 20:16:05 GMT
My DH and I have an agreement that we won't put our dogs thru chemo simply because they won't know what's going on and won't understand.
I have a dear friend at work who is having chemo and working and I see how exhausted she is and she's aware of what's going on.
11 years old deserves quality time and treats. Instead of chemo, make a bucket list and take the pup on some fun adventures (driving thru McDonald's with Mom for a treat, a Starbucks puppuccino, ice cream).
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Post by Lexica on Aug 6, 2019 20:35:11 GMT
My son’s dog developed cancer in his eye. This happened about 6 months into my son’s cancer treatments. It took a lot of doing to assure my son that cancer isn’t contagious and he didn’t make his dog sick. My funds were stretched to the maximum because my ex stopped paying child support the very month our son was diagnosed with his cancer. The surgeon told us he felt my son’s cancer was terminal because he could not remove it all and that it had spread outside of the origination point and was going down every available vein in the area. He said he had never seen anything like it. Dealing with that in addition to the dog getting cancer was just too much to handle.
Even though money was beyond tight, I had to at least try something for the dog for my son’s sake. We saw an animal eye specialist and he removed the eye and put in a rubber ball for aesthetics. Unfortunately, the dog was allergic to the rubber and he needed a second surgery to remove the ball, costing hundreds more. At that point in time, there was no way I could afford to pay for cancer treatment for the dog, and the vet said it was not a great option since the cancer was so close to the brain. We loved on the dog and he lived another year before it wasn’t a good quality of life and we chose to let him go. If I had the money, I probably would have tried to do the treatment since the dog was only 6 years old and my son’s first dog.
As for my son, we transferred his treatment to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They had an entirely different protocol than our doctor in California and it saved his life. I had to pour my money and energy into my son during that time, so we did the best we could for the dog, although I had tremendous guilt. My son handled the dog’s eventual passing so much better than I did.
In your mom’s case, I would go for the cancer treatment if I could afford it. At least as long as it appeared to be helping and the dog wasn’t suffering from it.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 21:19:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 20:49:46 GMT
I wouldn't even consider it if it only gave her an extra six months and especially given her age. If I'm honest I would let her go now while she is free from pain. As heartbreaking as it will be, it's the kindest thing for Molly. Even with pain meds there's no telling that she will be pain free as the TCC progresses and she won't be able to tell anyone if she is or not.
I'm sorry your Mum has to be faced with all these decisions.It's not easy when you have a much loved pet.
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 6, 2019 20:58:00 GMT
We had a little dog, Sox, who had chemo. It gave us another almost 2 years with him. I would do it again, he also had to have his leg amputated, he was a smaller dog and it seriously didn’t slow him down much. Just kept him off the counters. He still loved his walks and playing fetch up until the cancer came back. When it came back we only had about a month with him, so at that time we just kept him comfortable and let him eat yogurt and whipped cream after every meal. The only side effect he had was that he got cold easier, so when he was outside he wore a little sweater. Good luck to your mother, I will keep her and her fur family in my thoughts. ..... yogurt and whipped cream after every meal....  |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 21:19:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 21:50:30 GMT
My son’s dog developed cancer in his eye. This happened about 6 months into my son’s cancer treatments. It took a lot of doing to assure my son that cancer isn’t contagious and he didn’t make his dog sick. My funds were stretched to the maximum because my ex stopped paying child support the very month our son was diagnosed with his cancer. The surgeon told us he felt my son’s cancer was terminal because he could not remove it all and that it had spread outside of the origination point and was going down every available vein in the area. He said he had never seen anything like it. Dealing with that in addition to the dog getting cancer was just too much to handle. Even though money was beyond tight, I had to at least try something for the dog for my son’s sake. We saw an animal eye specialist and he removed the eye and put in a rubber ball for aesthetics. Unfortunately, the dog was allergic to the rubber and he needed a second surgery to remove the ball, costing hundreds more. At that point in time, there was no way I could afford to pay for cancer treatment for the dog, and the vet said it was not a great option since the cancer was so close to the brain. We loved on the dog and he lived another year before it wasn’t a good quality of life and we chose to let him go. If I had the money, I probably would have tried to do the treatment since the dog was only 6 years old and my son’s first dog. As for my son, we transferred his treatment to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They had an entirely different protocol than our doctor in California and it saved his life. I had to pour my money and energy into my son during that time, so we did the best we could for the dog, although I had tremendous guilt. My son handled the dog’s eventual passing so much better than I did. In your mom’s case, I would go for the cancer treatment if I could afford it. At least as long as it appeared to be helping and the dog wasn’t suffering from it. Lexica, your post made my heart hurt for what you were dealing with. You absolutely made the right choices for the circumstances. My neighbor & his wife are retired & don’t have children. Their pug mix was so smart! And obviously was their “child”. When he got cancer (I don’t know what kind but he had tumors in several places) they chose to do everything possible to save him. He was 13 years old. Their vet even got him into Texas A&M Vet Hospital where he had some tumor removal surgery... but ultimately he passed away. I think he lived about 2 years after diagnosis but I don’t know all the details. For my neighbor, that dog was his life. He had the money & the time for care. I thought that was his decision & I supported him. For me? My little boy Doxie is my empty nest baby. I’ll do anything to make him happy. Lots of vet appts would not make him happy. I’d take that into serious consideration. Hugs to your mom. |
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Aug 7, 2019 15:48:15 GMT
For me? My little boy Doxie is my empty nest baby. I’ll do anything to make him happy. Lots of vet appts would not make him happy. I’d take that into serious consideration.^^^ a resounding Yes!! to both of those... It will be tough to decide when the 'right time' is to for us to let Bisbee go-- as it is for any pet, health issues or not-- but as long as she has a good quality of life NOW (chasing the cats now and then and playing catch with her stuffed kitty every once in a while is pretty darn good for her right now), we're counting each day we get to spend with her while she's still in good physical shape as a blessing. I think that's how I would approach any life-threatening health issue for one of our pets. They're our 'kids' but it's not the same as having a human child who can understand more of what's happening to them and why it's happening. |
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schizo319
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,030
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Post by schizo319 on Aug 7, 2019 16:34:04 GMT
We just lost our 18yo dachshund to bone cancer. At her advanced age (she was also beginning to lose kidney function), we did not feel that it was in her best interest to do any sort of treatment - it also wasn't within our means financially even if we had wanted to do treatment. We did administer subcutaneous fluids for the kidney problem for the last two months of her life for the kidney problem, but we did not treat the cancer. Once it was obvious that she was in pain, we made the decision to let her go. It was excruciating to lose her - I'm so sorry for your mom.
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AnotherPea
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by AnotherPea on Aug 7, 2019 16:46:03 GMT
I have not done chemo with a dog. When we were given the option the vets told us that due to our dogs' ages, we may or may not gain anything from treatment. Our dogs were already at the top of the typical lifespan for their breeds and were not fans of going to the vet at all. The stress they'd undergo for the repeated treatments didn't seem worth it to us. One vet told us that it was likely that chemo would prolong our golden's life by a year but since he was almost 12 it was just as likely that he would die from something else before that time. I'm sorry the pup is sick  |
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Post by birukitty on Aug 9, 2019 18:48:20 GMT
I haven't but my parents did. Max was a Bernese Mountain Dog who just passed away this week from cancer at the age of 9 1/2 which is fairly old for a BMD. He was diagnosed with cancer (I can't remember what kind) and my father didn't hesitate to go with the chemo when our vet said it would give Max and additional 3-6 months of life. I thought if would be like chemo with people, but instead Max did extremely well with his chemo-he bounced right back into a healthy state and wanted to go on walks, started going back upstairs and sleeping in between my parents in their Queen sized bed (can you imagine-he was huge!), and stealing food from the kitchen counters.
The day before he collapsed he stole half of my sister's Subway sub. His end came suddenly. He collapsed on the floor and my parents and sister rushed him to our vet. It was 6 months since his chemo had been started. With his family surrounding him (except for me which I hated-it was so sudden there was no time to call me) our devoted vet eased him into death. I miss him terribly.
This is of course a choice your mother must make for herself. I do know that my father was happy he chose chemotherapy. Those additional 6 months meant everything to him.
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